BIRKINS love or loath

LOVE! Of course! 
How could anyone loath such a beautifully handcrafted work of art? Ok, so maybe the price can be a bit sickening. And the fact that it’s virtually impossible to get hold of unless you know the right people in the right places. And it’s ‘just a bag’ for heavens sake.

Mrs Beckham, Lopes and KK all get it so right.

Ok, so I get it, it is probably loath worthy at times. But, I am addicted. Oh yes.

Up to the point where I took a day trip from London to Paris to see if I had better luck there. But more on that later.

Lets start from the beginning; the bag is named after Jane Birkin, a beautiful actress & singer, model and muse in the 60’s. It all happened as she was on an airplane, when a plastic bag containing all her things broke and everything fell out. Just as she was saying how she wished Hermes would make a bag that could fit all her things in, the man sitting next to her, happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas (previous executive chairman for Hermes and head designer). They already had the Kelly bag, named after Grace Kelly, so he began working on the Birkin bag. She went down to the atelier, and he had made it in cardboard and she made some changes to it such as adding more pockets and making it bigger. So thats how it came about. 

Ms Birkin herself. 

(From now on you will see me spilling out my belongings from a cheap bag every time I fly. Somehow, I imagine it might not have the same desired outcome.)

So how did I acquire my first Birkin. Well, I tried long and hard through my contacts in Harrods and Selfridges to get one, but to no avail. The manager in Hermes Selfridges had also reportedly told her staff not to sell one to me were they to come in. Jealousy rears its ugly head yet again.

My good friend Katerina (owner of a few Birkins) advised me to go to Paris for the day with her to see if they had any there, and so we did.

As over-the-top luxurious as the brand may be to some, the main flagship in Paris is actually less intimidating than you might imagine and a lot of fun to browse; we found our way in at 11am. The store was already buzzing with sales associates running around and Chinese clients shouting for anything and everything. I actually remember being nervous, would this be the day I would get my hands on one? 

Hermes, Paris. many hearts have been broken here.

The sales associate we approached explained that they never knew about the bags coming in, so that they could never reserve them for their clients in advance (waiting lists were officially abandoned back in 2010), even the system would not tell her if there were bags downstairs, she had to physically check. We were out of luck this time but she told us to go off for a couple of hours and come back as there were deliveries throughout the day.

These bad boys almost cost me my Birkin. Would have been a brief love affair.

We decided to go for a spot of lunch and a visit to Christian Louboutin (where I almost blew my whole Birkin budget) and then headed back to Hermes. My friend decided to purchase a beautiful purple Kelly bag from the sales lady (to this day I don’t know if she did this to loosen the associate up, but if so, Katerina, I am eternally grateful to you). 

She went down stairs and brought up the only Birkin that they had had in that day; a size 40, tan with silver hardware. Now 40 is way too big even for me, but I had no choice. I had to buy it even if just as an insurance to be able to sell and get the one i wanted from London, which is incidentally what happened.

Still looking very happy with my over sized Birkin. Or maybe it was Mikel that provided the smile.
No. Definitely the bag.

I came back to London & as I had hoped for a black 35 with gold hard ware became available from one of my contacts in Selfridges (a woman had ordered it and not picked it up), I immediately sold my huge one to a tiny Chinese girl with profit (she could have lived in it) and bought the black one. I was content. But only for a little while as my hunger had now been awakened. Since then I have acquired another 3; a 35cm deep purple with silver hardware, a 35 orange with gold hardware and only 2 weeks ago, a beautiful rare green one with gold hardware. All through less dramatic circumstances.

Hermes offer a 'spa-treatment' for your Birkins where they restore the leather and polish the hardware. Something my black one is very much in need of after many years of tough love.

The purple one was next which I purchased 'just because it was there'. Pretty and unusual colour though. 

Everyone should have something orange from Hermes. Just so classic.

As i'm not in London I could not take a picture of the actual one, but this one comes close. Mine is only slightly darker.

The most expensive handbag to ever sell at auction was an Hermes Crocodile Birkin with White Gold & Diamond Hardware. It makes sense as not only are Hermes bags (and Birkins in particular) notorious for holding their value and doing well at resale, but a crocodile Birkin with diamond-encrusted hardware is one of the most elusive and expensive collector’s items in the world.

$203, 150... anyone?

A Dallas auction house was set to put a group of rare Hermes bags on the auction block, with the highest asking price for the “Hermes Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile 30cm Birkin Bag with Solid 18K White Gold & Diamond Hardware” being $80,000, I thought it sounded too low. And I was right. The bag sold for $203,150. It was the most expensive bag ever sold in auction, to an anonymous bidder.

Also a part of the auction: a 35cm Matte Brighton Blue Porosus Crocodile Birkin with Palladium hardware, which sold for $113,525, a 35cm Shiny Braise Red Porosus Crocodile Birkin with Palladium hardware for a cool $95,000 and a 30cm Himalayan Crocodile Birkin, also with Palladium, for $80,663. Mind blowing stuff.

Another debate I recently had with a friend of mine; Vikash (super on trend Louis Vuitton connoisseur) was if it was ok for guys to wear Birkins. I say yes yes yes as long as it is the The 50- and 55-centimeter bags which are essentially meant for travelling. I find it extremely metro sexual and manly in a way. But then I do find gay looking men attractive so my taste could be questioned. Vikash feels that “some things women should keep to themselves, and this is one of them. The Birkin epitomizes ultimate femininity” ok so I can see his point in that, he continues “My view is that why should we borrow from woman. It used be the reverse when woman wore trousers popularized by YSL in the 60s” In my opinion, women have borrowed from men for such a long time, its about time we gave something back! Just don’t get me on the subject of men in UGGs. Not even women should wear them.

Yes, yes and... yes. Bring on the Birkin boys.

Although the Birkin bag is free of logos, it is one of the most recognized bags in the fashion industry and by the public.

It is highly coveted and, for several years, was reputed for having a waiting list of up to 6 years – the longest wait for any bag in history however in April 2010, Hermès announced that the waiting list would no longer exist, implying that it is potentially available to all. Yeah right.

HuffPost blogger Michael Tonello uncovers the mystery behind the Birkin and in the fashion equivalent of a tell-all book called ‘Bringing Home The Birkin’ shows the masses of the world how they, too, can by-pass the marketing-ploy waiting list.

How did he do it?

"I would go into a store with a list in my Hermes Ulysse notebook and pile up scarves, shawls, bracelets, worth about $2,000. This made me seem a regular Hermes client," Tonello told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"Once I had that pile ready to buy at the last moment I'd ask for a Birkin and they would usually produce one of the back room. In 2005 I bought 130 Birkins in a three-month period -- and you tell me there is a waiting list?"

Mr Tonello and one of his 130 Birkins. Clearly bored him after a while.

So there you have it. The one-step, one-stop shop guide to buying a Birkin. Do, however, learn from his mistakes and don't buy too many, too quickly:

"In the store in Paris I went in maybe once too often and they checked the computer and discovered how many bags I had bought. They sent me a fax saying essentially they would no longer sell me any bags."

I have to say I agree with Mr Tonello, it’s all about who you know, not how long you wait, cause darling, you’ll be waiting forever.

Now, being on such a shallow and obnoxious subject as a bag that could feed a small village when we are in dire times makes me feel a bit quesy and guilty, but it’s not all opulence and grandeurs and this is coming from the lady herself that Mr Dumas named the bag after in 1984;

“I got Hermès to fork out for my charities once I saw the fortune they were making. A certain amount of money every year goes straight to my charity and it will continue to after my death. This year I was able to [use some of that money] to go to Japan for a benefit concert after the earthquake. We use some of the money to feed the poor people who can’t afford to eat in France. I sold one of my Birkin bags for $163,000 to help the Japanese Red Cross. So that rather trivial piece of heavy luggage has done a lot of good in the world.”

I absolutely love that the Birkin will be remembered for more than just being the most expensive and coveted handbag ever, and that Jane Birkin is still the coolest lady around.

Hats off to her.


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Gaga demonstrates an alternative way of carrying the Birkin. I prefer the arm myself. That red lipstick on the white handles makes my heart ache.

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NEW SHOES

At a casual dinner with my colleagues I chose to test walk my new Louboutins to see what they (I) could handle. 

And I was pleasantly surprised as I walked efficiently over cobbled streets avoiding cracks. Now, I believe these shoes have not received enough credit so therefore I have dedicated another 2 pictures to them so that you can really see what a work of art they truly are. My feet have never looked so dainty and slim and that says a lot.

They are also much lower than my usual heels so I almost felt I could have skipped along the street, however the Birkin on my arm almost dislocated my shoulder so that was a no go.

With my beautiful boots and heavy bag I wore my black Alexander McQueen coat. Its sharp shoulders, pinched in waist and asymmetrically cut skirt complimented my black stocking clad legs.

Around my neck I wore a black mongolian sheep fur that perfectly matched the fur on my boots.

Voila!

Me trying to get in to the rubbish room rather unsuccessfully. With the Birkin on the floor. Really??

So that you can see the jacket and its asymmetrical cut, here's one I made earlier :)

THE underestimated boots. Laser cut pony skin with python toes and silver spikes.

Dainty stiletto heels covered in python, not to forget the fur around the ankle. This shoe has it all.

My trusty black Birkin. Not looking so fresh anymore.

LASH PERFECT

Lashes are big to me. I have had a life long obsession with them to the point where when I got a new colouring in book in my early years, all i did was to draw lashes on all the characters and then discard of it.

I started wearing lashes about 12 years ago, during that time it was only me and the strippers that indulged in such extravagances. 

I used to go through periods of wearing fake lashes, I prefer the Shu Uemura lashes for drama or for a more natural look, just normal Boots ones. What I can't stand though is when girls are wearing about 3 pairs of lashes on each eye, weighing the eye down and making the eyes droopy or even worse; when girls wear the lashes days in a row, and they are dusty on top...euuu. So unhygienic.

Go big or go home

What made me finally stop using lashes was the messy glue that makes them come undone and before I know it I am wearing one of my lashes half down my chin. Not a desired look. And to be honest, I just couldn’t be bothered with all the fuss anymore.

So the other day I decided to go get some permanent lashes done.

A colleague of mine who works in beauty had recommended Browhaus so I checked them out online. Their main business is brows as one can guess from the name. They are located in Spring Street, Soho, in a funky warehouse conversion.

Browhaus is originally from Singapore but now has salons all over the world, even in Covent Garden in London which is great for when I return.

Spring Street location

I booked in for Lash in Bloom (as you might have guessed by now, I don’t like natural looking lashes) and asked for the most full on dramatic lashes, hoping to replicate the effect I always want from mascaras and am always disappointed with not achieving. They will do your lashes to your exact specification, natural, full, curly, long, however you want them! They are naturally curved, shiny and glossy and creates an irresistible addition to your eyes.

The process isn't that difficult, but it is pretty time consuming.  Your lower eyelashes are taped down (to avoid them getting stuck to the glue they use on the upper lashes), and individual lashes are glued to your own lashes. I get easily bored and impatient when doing beauty treatments, be it manicures or even a blow dry, so I was extremely bored to tears lying there with my eyes closed. It felt like it took forever and I really had to fight the urge of getting up with one eye done and walk out.

Booooring

After what felt like 5 years (1 hour), I was done. My beautician told me not to wear mascara as I don’t need it with the lashes. Whatever. So I went home and smothered them in my Lancome Hypnose Noir mascara. They looked divine.

What you do need to take in to account though is your cleansing routine, only use oil free eye make up removers, and avoid soaking the lashes - although I have done just that and I still have pretty much all of them left.

They say to not use mascara.  Anything oil or wax-based on the lashes will soften the bonds of the glue, and cause your new lashes to fall out. Again, i still have mine after 6 days of mascara wearing and soaking.

My lashes before mascara

With mascara. All 12 mm of them.

The lashes are not made of hair, and will take a day or two to get used to, they're more stiff than natural lashes, and you might find that you can see more of them than you do your natural lashes.  Try not to fiddle with them!

The lashes will fall out with the natural growth of your own lashes underneath.  This is perfectly normal, and nothing to worry about, but you can expect  need to have your lashes filled in slightly every 2-4 weeks, depending on your natural rate of growth. 

I paid $150 for a full set of individual lashes, included in the price is a return visit within 7 days where they top up your lashes. They looked even better after my second visit.

I am definitely continuing to top them up every other week.

I love the effect they achieved, and I'll be honest, I'm beginning to wonder how I'll live without them!

Love their ad campaigns 

ANOTHER NIGHT ANOTHER OUTFIT

 Went to a really cool restaurant last night; Employees Only, a speakeasy place down in the West Village; Full of hipsters and uber trendy people. I needed to be on point. 

You can never go wrong with black so I went all black everything black for the occasion. 

I got this black tee from H&M and ripped the collar to make it off the shoulder. I tucked it loosely in to my Jitrois high waisted leather pencil skirt and threw on my spiky gold Louboutins. 

I matched spikes with spikes with my Hermes Collier De Chien leather cuff.

Not posing. At all.

Hermes Collier De Chien

Jitrois leather skirt

Spikes spikes spikes